Pastime Baseball League
PLAYOFF REVIEW
SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Orlando Orcas (89-73) vs Los Angeles Idols (90-72)
Game Two: Orlando grabbed game one, making this an important one for the Idols before heading to Orlando for three. The Orcas start Al Javery (12-12, 4.65), while Los Angeles counters with Billy Rhines (16-14, 4.73).
It doesn't take long for the Orcas to put Rhines and L.A. back on their heels. Honus Wagner rips the first pitch for a single to center. Pete Browning flies out but Rhines falls behind Sam Crawford 2-0 before putting the Idols behind 2-0, as Crawford wallops a ball 430 feet to center for a two-run homer.
Buck Freeman follows with a 10-pitch at bat before singling, then scoring on Ryan Ludwick's double down the third base line. Ludwick would move to third on Benny Kauff's single, but was held, and Rhines would retire Buck Ewing and Claude Ritchey to end the inning.
Staked to a 3-0 lead, Javery walked Sammy Strang to open the bottom of the first. Cal McVey grounded to third, moving Strang to second. Javery then came through big, striking out MVP-frontrunner Mike Donlin. But if one doesn't get you in this lineup the next one will, and Fred Tenney knocked an RBI single to make it a 3-1 game.
The second was uneventful, and both teams stranded a pair in the third.
Orlando was retired in order in the fourth as well, and Los Angeles would chip away some more in the bottom half as Harry Stovey, Justin Morneau and Bill Wright singled in succession to start the inning, the latter an infield hit to load the bases. Javery would buckle down, though, getting Hank Blalock to ground into a double play, a trade Orlando would gladly take there of a run for two outs. Vern Stephens then flew out to left to end the inning with the score 3-2.
Rhines again retired Orlando in order in the fifth, and allowed two runners in the sixth but escaped the jam.
Orlando stranded Ludwick at third in the top of the eighth, unable to cash in on an insurance run most felt they would certainly need.
McVey singled for Los Angeles to lead off the bottom of the inning and moved to second when Donlin banged a grounder to first. Buck Freeman made the play moving toward the line and thought about second but decided to take the sure out.
Javery's day was done there, 7 1/3 innings of two run ball - though McVey was in his book - was as much as anyone could have asked against the Idols' potency. Skipper Eddie Dyer opted to go to matchups at this point.
Lefty Reb Russell (3-5, 3.53) was brought on to face Tenney, who already had driven in three runs in the series' first two games. With the count 2-2, catcher Buck Ewing was unable to handle a pitch, a passed ball that let McVey move to third. But Russell bore down and struck out Tenney swinging through a fastball.
Russell's job was done, and Dyer went to righty Red Munger (13-13, 4.67), who was the odd starter out of the postseason rotation. His task was Harry Stovey, who was 0-for-4 in the opener but already had two hits in this game. Munger got ahead on Stovey 0-2 before throwing three straight balls. Stovey then fouled off a tough slider. He tried the same pitch again, and Stovey skied it to left, where Pete Browning ran back to the track, against the wall, and watched it go out for a two-run homer to bring the L.A. crowd to its feet and give the Idols a 4-3 lead. Morneau would strike out to end the inning, but the damage had been done.
Los Angeles closer Chad Qualls (4-2, 2.85, 19 SV) came on in relief of Rhines, who was brilliant after a rough first inning. Pelayo Chacon struck out, Honus Wagner hit a soft liner to first and Browning struck out swinging to end the game and even the series, as Los Angeles wins 4-3.
Series tied 1-1.